The winningest football coach in Orange County history, John Barnes of Los Alamitos, said Thursday he is retiring after serving as head coach since 1979.

He has 324 victories when including one year as coach at Magnolia. He guided Los Alamitos to four Southern Section championships and produced numerous college and several NFL players. His career record was 324-100-6, according to CalHiSports statistics.

"I just came to the conclusion," he said. "I've been involved in football since I was 12 years old without a year off. I've had a wonderful career _ more than anyone could dream of. I've coached some of the greatest players in Orange County history and coached in some of the greatest games."

Barnes, 67, retired from teaching several years ago. He got to coach his sons at Los Alamitos, and one of them, Brian, could be a candidate to replace him.

Barnes' retirement comes the same week that Edison Coach Dave White announced he would be stepping down after next season. He has coached for 30 years and competed against Barnes in the Sunset League. Several other longtime coaches have called it quits in recent years, including Harry Welch and Bill Redell.